Syrian Jihadists Ban Singing and Dancing at Weddings

Al-Qaeda’s main branch in Syria recently raided a wedding party in the suburb of Aleppo and ordered that music and singing be stopped.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 11/10/2013, 6:14 AM

Jihadists

AFP photo

Al-Qaeda’s main branch in Syria, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has raided a wedding party in the suburb of Aleppo and ordered that music and singing be stopped, Al Arabiya reports, citing the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.

“One leader of the Islamic State warned residents that if a music band is invited to a wedding again, the person responsible will be arrested because this is immoral,” the newspaper reported, citing an internet page belonging to Syrian activists.

The Al-Qaeda leader reportedly asked the man in charge of the wedding to memorize a verse of the Quran and attend several religious courses at Al-Qaeda’s center in Maskana, near Aleppo.

The newspaper said Syrian activists are increasingly cautious when talking about ISIL because of the group’s increasing influence in areas outside the government’s control.

Observes fear that the practices of Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups in Syria are being exploited by the regime to portray itself as fighting terrorism, according to Al Arabiya.